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FPGA based OpenVPX System for mil/defence electronics

Date: 10/09/2013
BittWare has announced single-slot 2U OpenVPX system based on BittWare’s S5-6U-VPX (S56X) FPGA COTS board powered by Altera Stratix V GX and GS FPGAs and two VITA-57 FPGA Mezzanine Cards (FMCs) with direct data connections to the on-board FPGAs: an ADC FMC (A/D Converter) providing up to four 8-bit A/D channels at 1.25 to 5 GSPS, and a DAC FMC (D/A Converter) providing two 14-bit D/A channels at 5.6 GSPS. The S56X also features an ARM Cortex-A8 control processor for control plane interface and processing, extensive on-board memory, and I/O interfaces including GigE, SerDes, LVDS, JTAG, and RS-232. This system is designed for time-critical military applications.

“Our military customers have many varied system requirements, but at a base level, their needs are consistent – high-density programmable logic and high-speed data conversion, all accessible via a rugged VPX backplane,” stated Chad Hamilton, Vice President of Value-Add IP at BittWare. “Our newest development system satisfies these needs with a Stratix V-based VPX COTS board complete with high speed A/D and D/A direct to the FPGA, all in a 2U VPX rackmount/desktop enclosure. The system provides a highly configurable, tested system on which our military customers can develop their time-sensitive applications, giving them a jump on the competition.”

“Altera is pleased to partner with BittWare to offer a system-ready electronic warfare and radar platform”, said Ian Land, senior manager, Military and Aerospace products at Altera. “BittWare has provided a robust 6U VPX card powered by Stratix V, Altera’s most recent floating-point FPGA family. It combines high-speed ADC and DAC daughter cards so customers can develop advanced radar systems quickly. Altera will use this platform for our next-generation signal processing seminar which demonstrates a channelizer on BittWare’s Stratix-based VPX platform.”

The software supports reconfigurable data routing, hardware-in-the-loop support for Simulink.
An S56X rear transition module is included to provide convenient rear panel I/O access, including 8 QSFP connectors for high-speed serial access, along with SFP, PCIe, GigE, SATA, JTAG, and LVDS. A debug breakout board also provides front-panel access via USB, JTAG, RS-232, and Ethernet.

The development system includes a 19” rackmount enclosure with a VITA 46/65 compliant single-slot VPX backplane, featuring high-speed multi-gig connectors J0-J6. The 2U high chassis accommodates one 6U x 160 mm board and includes a 250W Power-One power supply. It provides integrated cooling with two 12 VDC fans and side-to-side airflow, and includes an advanced EMI shielding package.

Availability: BittWare’s EW & Radar Development System is currently shipping and available now.